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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 06 23 Public Input - Documents provided by Mr. Bob MillerL�r V" C;1-3,- 'Publr c 1:4npL -- 3 TO: Winter Springs Mayor and five City Commissioners M r . SUBJECT: WSCA and Winter Springs Never Ending JLAC audit. DATE: June 24, 2025 In a April 17, 2025 letter to Governor DeSantis I asked him to look into a still unanswered list of weaponized charges made in mi-2021 by the head of local Republican Party authorities to the JLAC in Tallahassee. Winter Springs Community Association had demanded a JLAC audit into City corruption, rampant mismanagement, malfeasance, violations of state ethics laws, a lack of transparency, taxpayer funded misinformation, city campaigns censoring residents, theft of city property, and even profiteering by some commissioners in this City. And the JLAC findings three years later? Nothing! So now was the time for Governor DeSantis to end this JLAC insanity? On June 6, 2025 the Governor answered, suggesting I take my concerns to the Inspector General and others who were already aware of the above charges? I am today proving this Commission with a copy of my second letter to Governor DeSantis, dated June 20, 2025. It informs him that as an eighty-five year old former military veteran, and former elected official of no consequence anymore, I now fear for my country and my personal safety amidst a cancerous litany of local local Republican Party scandals, which now even include his Attorney General, who local media now publicly describe as: "In so neck -deep in the Hope Florida scandal, that his fellow Republicans said it looks like he's organizing a money-laundering scheme." I ask myself if you care about such injustice? And if not, why not? Hon Robert S. Miller. LtCol, USAF (Retired) Former Winter Springs Commissioner (1997-2008) 679 Silvercreek Drive, Winter Springs, F132708 3 Enclosures: 1. Three page letter of April 27, 2025 to Governor DeSantis 2. Letter of June 6, 2025 from Florida Chief Inspector General 3. Two page letter of June 20, 2025 to Governor DeSantis Honorable Governor Ronald DeSantis Governor of Florida Executive Office of the Governor, Suite LL-10 Tallahassee. Florida 32399-0001 (E-mail) DeSantis@EOCmyflorida 27 April 2025 Dear Governor DeSantis, SUBJECT: Florida's Final State Audit Report for Winter Springs? I am concerned that there appears to have been no real closure to a State Audit two years ago, that was demanded, at the time, as more than just some local issues normally dealt with by local governments. In the case of this City's audit, demanded by JLAC, there were other serious allegations made. The JLAC audit was based on an anonymous document from a prominent member of Florida's Republican Party, Mr. Jesse Phillips, the then Republican Party's Vice Chairman for Florida. A long time resident of Winter Springs, apparently posing as a non-existent PAC in Florida, he- provided an anonymous document to Senator Jason Brodeur in mid-2022. So troubling were its allegations mentioned below, that upon receipt, Senator Brodeur, immediately demanded JLAC approve an audit of Winter- Springs. During the JLAC proceedings, false allegations were also made that the City of Winter Springs appeared bankrupt. So troubling were JLAC's charges, that Seminole County's Republican Tax Collector also demanded an immediate City audit. At the above early January 2023 JLAC meeting, Senator Jason Brodeur summarized his personal concerns about Winter Springs leadership: "I am aware of concerns regarding activities of the current Mayor, City Commission and City Manager. The residents of Winter Springs have compiled extensive material showing rampant mismanagement and even malfeasance which is harming the 38,000 residents of the City of Winter Springs," and, "suspected violations of state ethics laws, a complete lack of transparency, taxpayers funded misinformation and campaigns, censoring residents, and possible public corruption and profiteering with a commissioner?" Incredible as it may seem... today, two years later, the State's audit report is still not finalized. And no evidence of any of Brodeur's personal concerns publicly expressed above, have emerged. Winter Springs residents problem today, Governor DeSantis, is that the stench of city corruption then needlessly raised publicly by Phillips, Broedur and Seminole County, continues to besmirch the good name and reputation of this City. We used to live in a country with respect for law and each other, but now we all wonder? This JLAC "Sword of Damocles," still hanging over this City's leadership, is still a very serious problem that you need to give closure to immediately. And if appropriate, the Republican Party should also review its ranks for those needlessly endangering the Parry's future by in Florida with irresponsible and negligent behavior. As I am sure you knew, a decade back, of another local Seminole County lawmaker, Chris Dorworth for example: who aspired to become the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives there in Tallahassee. But then a long list of serious problematic concerns emerged about him. But the Party rallied around Dorwortlh anyway, and a short time later, Florida voters overwhelmingly threw Dorworth out of a new District the Party had specially created for him... so he could win. (1) But the public, fed up with corruption and Party shenanigans... chose Jason Brodeur instead! Local papers of the time observed, "In Florida elections, the cheaters often win." And that Jason Brodeur was also: "the beneficiary of `ghost candidate' schemes in Which people have already been convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes. Yet Brodeur remains in office." And concluded by observing "Maybe we should all celebrate justice prevailing and the cheaters being exposed — except for the key fact. The cheaters also won. " (2) And then along comes Joel Greenberg, who also gets the nod to run for elected office in Seminole County from local and State political power brokers. Greenberg gets elected as Seminole County's new Republican Tax Collector in 2017. Then he resigns three years later under a cloud of incredidble accusations of criminal misconduct and. Then courts find him guilty of a host of unbelievable misbehavior while in public office, and he gets eleven years in prison. And the nature of some $1,392,000 of taxpayer monies he distributed to those below for various official purposes are still being wondered about here. Shirley Co. 678,000 Aries Consulting Group 263,000 E-3 Ventures 300,000 Public Efficiency Group (Mike Ertel) 45,000 Blue Print enterprises 40,500 Mega Advisory Group 29,000 Community Cultural Consulting 16,000 K1 Consulting Group 48,000 Senator Jason Brodeur too gets re-elected, and immediately opens his JLAC weaponized investigation into the City of Winter Springs in January 2023. Then Seminole County Commissioner Jay Zembower also demands his own office conduct an urgent audit into the criminal activities in Winter Springs? Brodeur's allegations so traumatized the City Government of Winter Springs that many of its employees left to find more honorable employment elsewhere, while others resigned in disgust. And those that remained were hounded month after month. with auditor demands looking for problems which didn't exist. Efforts to find new employees also became a serious problem. The media at the time pointed out that some 42 ethics cases existed against other Florida elected officials, but not a single ethics or other Sunshine Case had been brought against any City leader in Winter Springs. On Wednesday 9 August 2023, the Orlando Sentinel's Commentary again observed that the stench of corruption was again becoming unbearable in Seminole County and Tallahassee, but this; "Isn't really unusual since Florida politicians are drawn to scandals the way dung beetles are drawn to cow patties." Two days later local papers again observed that Joel Greenberg friends in Seminole County, were like, "a criminal octopus because so many people tied to the former tax collector have faced federal charges "(3) A month later even a local paper, the Oviedo Community News, for the week of 18 September 2023, reported that two newly elected Winter Springs Commissioners, supported in the most recent November 2024 Commission race, had already publicly admitted they too had been in contact with developers with development interests in the City's west side. With this and other problematic commentaries about the need for "Sunshine compliance," Winter Springs residents are increasingly concerned about the eity's future belonging to big developers and behind the scenes local Party interests. (4) In closing, Governor DeSantis, do something! An explanation is urgently warranted from your Inspector General, to clear the air on what her final investigation has to say about the criminal charges needlessly made a part of JLAC's record, when Brodeur became its chairman in 2023. The residents of Winter Springs are grateful to you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, s'y Hon. Robert Miller. Former Winter Springs District 1, Commissioner (1998-2008) 679 Silvercreek Drive, Winter Springs, Fl. 32708 References: I . Orlando Sentinel. Scott Maxwell. "Unpaid Taxes. False Claims. What's Next?" Local and State. Sec 1, p. 3. August 13, 2023. 2. Orlando Sentinel. Scott Maxwell, "In Florida elections, the cheaters often win," Local and State, Section 1, Page 3. September 10, 2023 3. Orlando Sentinel. Opinion. Editorial. "Difficult to understand why DeSantis has delayed valid ethics complaints for years." Thursday September 21, 2023 p.18 4. Oviedo Community News report of Thursday 21, 2023, and Minutes of Winter Springs meeting of Monday 18, 2023 �F �11E ST9TF wry = = on m � ,MCDD WE'LRJS� RON DESANTIS GOVERNOR Colonel Robert S. Miller STATE OF FLORIDA (Offfce of the gubernor THE CAPITOL TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-0001 679 Silver Creek Drive Winter Springs, Florida 32708-3142 Dear Colonel Miller: www.flgov.com 850-717-9418 June 6, 2025 Thank you for contacting Governor Ron DeSantis. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Governor DeSantis appreciates the invaluable service and sacrifices made by our military, like yourself. -- Under Florida law, violations of the conflict -of -interest laws fall within the jurisdiction of the Florida Commission on Ethics. For information about the Commission or to file a complaint, please contact the commission at the address below: Florida Commission on Ethics Post Office Drawer 15709 Tallahassee, Florida 32317-5709 Telephone: (850) 488-7864 Online: N,\,ww.etliics.state.fl.us The state attorney should be contacted by individuals who believe locally elected officials have violated criminal laws. We encourage you to continue working with the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, to reach a resolution to your concerns. To ensure they are aware of your concerns, I forwarded a copy of your letter to the Office of Chief Inspector General. If you want to contact that office directly, please use the information- provided below. Thank you again for contacting Governor Ron DeSantis. Sincerely, Martha Lynn Office of Citizen Services Executive Office of the Governor ML/ cas cc: Office of Chief Inspector General Executive Offic of the Governor 400 South Monroe Street, Suite 1902 Tallahassee, Florida 32301-0001 Telephone: 850-717-9264 Honorable Governor Ronald DeSantis Governor of Florida Executive Office of the Governor, Suite LL-10 Tallahassee, Florida 32300-0001 (E-Mail) DeSantis@EOCmyflorida June 20, 2025 SUBJECT: Your Letter of 27 April 2025 regarding JLAC's weaponized audit of Winter Springs? Dear Governor DeSantis, Your response to my letter of 27 April 2025 through Martha Lynn of your Office of Citizens Services, was disappointing. It answered none of the baseless concerns raised about alleged criminal activity in Winter Springs Government. And there were none! Such false allegations make more and more of us Veteran's afraid to speak out publicly to our political leaders, especially when it appears involvement of our local and State Republican Party at the highest levels! Now 85, and with 28 years in Military Service, another 12 in local government service, and having walked in harms way many times in public service, am now afraid to openly challenge local corruption in this County or city for obvious reasons. This is a sad commentary on my life defending freedom in its various contexts. Therefore, I shall not bother you further with issues our current leadership systemically appear to ignore. I had hoped you might quietly suggest someone look into questions I raised. Mr. Jesse Phillips and associates in Winter Springs, created Winter Springs Community Association (WSCA) in 2021, and successfully endorsed five WSCA candidates for local office in the 2022, and 2024 elections. Others in the area were aware of Mr. Phillips "arranged" JLAC demand for a City Audit based on his trumped-up weaponized allegations. In two years his allegations proved nothing, but needlessly ruined the lives and reputations of many good public servants in the public forum here. Phillips allegations to JLAC were mentioned on the first page of my earlier letter to you, while he and associates appear to have never bothered to register their WSCA as a legal Political Action Party (PAC) in Florida, and it appears they should have, so I "naively" hoped you might suggest someone look into it? Why? Controversies already surround your Attorney General, and a cancer of corruption here. And current media observes that James Uthmeier, "is in so neck -deep in the Dope Florida scandal that his fellow Republicans said it looks like he's organizing a money-laundering scheme."(1) These are troubling. It is now apparent to me, that to pursue this matter further with your IG and JLAC, is not only dangerous, but foolhardy for me. They are already been involved for over two years, and to what end, Governor DeSantis? Thank you, sir for listening. Sincerely, Honorable Robert S. Miller. LtCol. USAF, (retired) Former Winter Springs City Commissioner (1998-2008) 679 Silvercreek Drive, Winter Springs, F132708 (407) 346-8977 (E-Mail) Thezormaster@Gmail.com) Copies to: Martha Lynn. Florida Office of Citizen Services Office of the Florida Chief Inspector General Mayor Kevin McCann at the City of Winter Springs (1) Scott Maxwell. "Nomionate Central Florida's unsung heroes." Orlando Sentinel. Thursday, June 16, 2025. Sec 1. P.3.